# People who could've run for President and won but didn't. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 23, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324 "2015-11-23T00:32:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/21 "2015-11-23T12:29:01Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > Henry Scoop Jackson, both in 1972 and 1976. Jackson ran for president in both 1972 and 1976. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/22 "2015-11-23T12:30:59Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I think Nelson Rockefeller would have had a good chance. He ran too, in 1960, 1964, and 1968. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/23 "2015-11-23T12:41:49Z")
Senator Sam Nunn from Georgia was always considered a potential presidential candidate but never ran. I think he preferred being the Sunday talk show guy more than stomping through snow in Iowa and New Hampshire. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/24 "2015-11-23T12:52:51Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Jackson ran for president in both 1972 and 1976. OHHH I thought you meant “if had won the nomination.” Had Jackson won the nomination, he’d have won. He’s still my historic Democratic hero. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/25 "2015-11-23T13:00:31Z")
Nancy Pelosi. Tip O’Neill. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/26 "2015-11-23T15:21:14Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Ben Franklin. No. He would not have defeated Wahington in the first ever election, as Washington received an unanimous vote in the Electoral College. Franklin died one year after that election at the age of 84. He would have been 89 after Washington’s second term. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/27 "2015-11-23T15:22:39Z")
George Voinovich was a very popular, moderate Republican from Ohio whom I think would have had a fair chance to win a POTUS election, but never pursued it. He went from Mayor of Cleveland to Ohio Governor to Senator. In 1996 Bob Dole’s campaign considered Voinovich as the VP running mate, but Voinovich declined so that he could focus on working in the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/28 "2015-11-23T16:15:04Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > My knowledge of 19th century history is sorely lacking, but wasn’t wild-eyed pyromaniac William T. Sherman thought to be a good candidate for President until he famously rejected the idea of running? Yes, absolutely. Sherman is probably the canonical answer to this question. Many Republicans urged him to run for the 1884 nomination after he retired from the Army in 1883. It’s entirely plausible that he could have won the nomination at the convention, and been elected, on the strength of his military reputation alone. US Grant had done so in 1868. Also, Sherman’s brother was a well-known and powerful Senator, influential within the party. Instead he issued his famous statement, “If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve.” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/29 "2015-11-23T16:57:01Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Nancy Pelosi. Tip O’Neill. Never. Pelosi and O’Neill would have strictly partisan appeal, and likely would not do any better than Newt Gingrich in a national election. It’s amazing the number of respected members of the House and Senate who actually took a shot at running for President and failed to get any traction. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/30 "2015-11-23T17:26:50Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Yes, absolutely. Sherman is probably the canonical answer to this question. Many Republicans urged him to run for the 1884 nomination after he retired from the Army in 1883. It’s entirely plausible that he could have won the nomination at the convention, and been elected, on the strength of his military reputation alone. US Grant had done so in 1868. Also, Sherman’s brother was a well-known and powerful Senator, influential within the party. Instead he issued his famous statement, “If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve.” Yeah, one of the best political ‘Fuck You’s’ in all of history. Go 'way boy, ya bother me. Powell, sure. Along with Cuomo are the obvious choices. Going further back Robert Lansing, SecState under Wilson, would have had a shot if he’d ever wanted it. However much he might be disliked, John Foster Dulles would certainly have been a contender had he ever decided to run. There’s a book about how awesome Lincoln’s cabinet was. There were certainly several of them who THOUGHT that they’d be better President’s that was Lincoln. Seward, Stanton and a few others had the gravitas to win the election if they could get the nomination. I’d say after Seward, Salmon Chase would be the leader of this pack. Amusing aside: Lincoln nominated Chase as Chief Justice of the SCOTUS on December 4, 1864. The Senate confirmed him _that same day and he began to serve immediately_. Man, times change. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/31 "2015-11-23T17:45:58Z")
Colin Powell came to my mind also. I suspect any democrat who won the 1980 primary would have beaten Ford. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/32 "2015-11-23T18:11:20Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Colin Powell came to my mind also. I suspect any democrat who won the 1980 primary would have beaten Ford. Except Reagan was the Republican nominee. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/33 "2015-11-23T18:56:02Z")
Oops! I meant in 1976. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/34 "2015-11-23T20:14:53Z")
How about Charles Lindbergh in 1928? I’ve always thought his fame was several orders of magnitude higher than his actual accomplishment, but who’s to say he couldn’t have won as a Republican in 1928? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/35 "2015-11-23T21:43:17Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Well, that’s a thought. Certainly a case could be made that anybody would have been better than Dukakis in '88. I think it’s likely that Cuomo would have won the Democratic nomination. Less likely in '92. > > Would he have defeated Bush either time? Maybe, maybe not. And that is, I think, what the OP is looking for, a definite lock to have won the Presidency. And there isn’t one. Well, Scoop Jackson would have won the General election, but he did run and lost the Primaries. But I cant think of anyone who didnt even dip their toe in, and would have won. Perhaps, Schwarzkopf? Better than GWB anyway. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/36 "2015-11-23T21:44:27Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > OHHH I thought you meant “if had won the nomination.” Had Jackson won the nomination, he’d have won. He’s still my historic Democratic hero. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/37 "2015-11-23T22:21:44Z")
I guess Harold Stassen is not on this list. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/38 "2015-11-23T22:51:20Z")
Paul Wellstone, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/39 "2015-11-23T22:52:37Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > How about Charles Lindbergh in 1928? I’ve always thought his fame was several orders of magnitude higher than his actual accomplishment, but who’s to say he couldn’t have won as a Republican in 1928? I don’t think Lindbergh was super political until the late 1930s, early 1940s. Also, I think the political machine would have convinced Lindbergh to run later - maybe start off as Hoover’s VP in '28. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324/40 "2015-11-24T00:44:33Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > How about Charles Lindbergh in 1928? I’ve always thought his fame was several orders of magnitude higher than his actual accomplishment, but who’s to say he couldn’t have won as a Republican in 1928? Lindbergh was 26 in 1928. He wasn’t eligible to run for President until the 1940 election. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-couldve-run-for-president-and-won-but-didnt/738324.md?page=3)